2017-2018 Judges' Scoresheet - THIS IS NOT THE CURRENT YEAR SCORESHEET

In the Collegiate ECHO Marketing Challenge, great effort goes into the areas of Market Research and Marketing Strategy, which lead to a Creative Strategy, a Media Plan, and Budget / Return on Investment calculations, among other facets, to create a marketing plan. Excellence in these and other aspects of marketing are eligible for special recognition when campaign entries are judged.

To achieve a winning entry, every point counts. Below is the Judges' Scoresheet. Scoring values are shown just below each category (left column), with a maximum total score of 50.

Appendices provide backup for the Executive Summary, such as primary research questionnaires and results, media plan charts, detailed budget / ROI calculations, creative samples, references and citations, etc. Judges review citations for assumptions made and substantiations for industry standards (e.g., costs, response rates, etc.). Are substantiations / citations provided that support the market research, and are they valid and clear? Are the appendices indexed / organized well vs. a dumping ground?

A note about Creative Strategy (5 points): Judges take into account not only creative strategy - the key component of creative in this Challenge - but also how well the team executes it. Judges review creative briefs, information, samples and other creative elements that the student team provides in the Executive Summary and Appendices. This score also takes the Video to Consumers into account, in terms of its cohesion with the marketing and creative strategies. (Later (in Section IV) the Video to Consumers is judged separately in terms of scripting and professionalism.)

Category

0-2

3-5

6-8

9-10

1

Market Research
(10 points)

Not provided, incomplete, or detracts from the brand.

Acceptable, but needs further development, more substantiation needed.

II. STRATEGIC SUMMARY CHART: This document focuses the team on its marketing strategy development. The teams draws strategic conclusions / solutions from its Market Research, which drive the entire marketing plan. This chart is required, and may appear in the Executive Summary, the PowerPoint, or both – depending how the team chooses to organize its presentation - with research conclusions on the left, and corresponding strategies on the right.

6

Strategic Summary Chart (2 points)

0

1

2

Missing or too simplistic, overly presumptive, leaves the reader wondering what this is all about.

Gaps in the research. Chart attempts to identify how research is to be applied. Or summary is good, but basic.

Research is stated in detail. Conclusions are clear, logical. More advanced analysis is used.

Professionalism relates to this presentation’s “look and feel” – items such as readability, writing, creative graphics / charts, statement of objective(s) and outcome(s), etc. – arranged in a clear and concise hierarchy. Consistency with the main section is a given.

IV. VIDEO TO CONSUMERS: Is the script well written? Is there a compelling call to action? Does the video align with the overall strategy? While we don’t require motion picture film or commercial TV studio production values, a well-thought-out presentation improves the score. (As mentioned in Section I, this section measures a different aspect of the creative.)

Very good to outstanding, professional quality. Great script; integrated with strategy; highly creative.

V. OVERALL CAMPAIGN COHESIVENESS AND PROFESSIONALISM: Are all elements cohesive, i.e., reflected throughout the campaign, flowing from the Market Research conclusions and Strategic Summary Chart? Are they realistic, substantiated? Are they organized and presented in a professional manner? Does the judge, acting as "the client,” have a complete understanding of strategy development from the Executive Summary, Appendices, Strategic Summary Chart, Visual Summary (PowerPoint or video presentation) and Video to Consumers?

VI. HONORABLE MENTION NOMINATIONS: If a team shines in any particular area, judges are asked to nominate it for an Honorable Mention in one or more of the following categories:

1

Market Research

2

Marketing Strategy

3

Creative Strategy

4

Media Plan

5

Budgeting / ROI

6

Video to Consumers

7

Executive Summary

8

Visual Summary

9

Innovation * (see below)

10

Other:

* A note about Innovation: An innovative entry will reflect out of the box thinking / ideation. Execution is feasible - it may succeed or fail - but the idea is brilliant, unexpected, worthy of Honorable Mention.